Remember Me
by Jo-sen7
Summary: Opening his palm, he realized that it was his own box of mint candies. Grasping the box tightly back into his hand, Rukawa looked straight into the cobalt blue eyes and said, “You can call me Kaede”. Chap5 Up! Pls R&R! SENRU
1. Default Chapter

**_Remember Me – Chapter One _**

**Disclaimer: The standard**

**Genre: Supernatural/Romance (Yaoi)**

**Synopsis: Coming back from the dead, he went back to his homeland intending to live a new life but was instead plunged back into those haunting memories when he met a certain pale, raven haired boy……**

Dedicated to all those in AK ML and also to those who had taken part in the poll!!

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The night was still and silent.

Standing on the hilltop overlooking the little town from amidst the woods, he had a bird's eye view of the town. Even from the distance and in the darkness where the little town was barely lit up by the street lamps, he could see as well as someone with the use of binoculars in broad daylight. Roaming his cobalt blue eyes across the entire town, he decided that this was a good place for him. Small, peaceful, quiet and normal…….just what he was looking for.

After spending years in Italy and certain parts of America, he decided to come back to his native land, Japan. But the changes that greeted him were a tad unexpected. Sure, he had read from the papers and the news during his years abroad that Japan had undergone numerous changes, but he was unprepared for the onslaught of transformation when he first arrived in the late afternoon. Everything here was high-tech and skyscrapers towered above him, it was a far cry from what he remembered many many years ago…..

But he would learn to adapt quickly. He had to…..being what he was……there would always be new countries, new changes, new centuries….it would always be a never ending cycle. 

He smiled bitterly at the irony. People everywhere were complaining about time shortage and here he was, bitter and unhappy because he had all the time in the world…….

A wind howled, cutting through the silence in the woods. Slipping his hands deeper into the pockets of his black Armani trench coat, he signed inwardly. 

He was tired….tired of living in the shadows, he was tired of the darkness and the activities going on in there. He wanted to learn to live in the light and that was why he came back to his native land. This was the place in which he had lived the brightest, happiest and most innocent days of his life and hence coming back here in trying to seek a life in the light somehow seemed justified and appropriate.

The early years in Italy were the darkest period of his life. He was furious and enraged at being taken, ripped away from his perfect life and thrust into a life that was forced to feed on blood. His Creator had brought him back to his own hometown in Italy where he tried to groom him. Consumed with rage and hatred, he went all out to do what was taught to him. He constantly prowled the streets at night for victims, feeding on them till they shriveled up like prunes without an ounce of guilt. Each day with every drop of human blood he consumed, he became stronger, more powerful and soon among his own species, his name spread far and wide.

But he ceased being a ruthless predator the day he met her, everything changed for him since then. He was drawn to her the moment he set his eyes on her in the crowded room that day. Maybe it was the fact that she was also Japanese which was something rare yet oddly comforting in the sea of Europeans that drew him to her or her entrancing eyes, he didn't know. All he knew was that he wanted her. Amidst the darkness and chaos, she was his only sanity. Many times when he was with her, he found himself fighting hard not to give in to his desires, not to make her one of them. Thinking back now, he wished his will-power was not that strong…..if only he had given in to his own desires, she might still be around…..

"Ayumi" He whispered.

A familiar jolt of pain pierced through him, the mere mention of her name on his lips each time was enough to trigger all the sad and painful memories. 

Wanting to disperse his thoughts, he turned his attention back to observing the little town named Kanagawa, his new home for the time being. In the distance, his sharp eyes caught sight of a black cat pouncing successfully on its prey, a small rodent, most probably a mouse.

He broke into a smile, appreciating the fuss-free kill. /_Nice work./_

Seeing the successful hunt by the cat made himself acutely aware of his own hunger. There was a tingling feeling in his teeth and his jaws were aching for a bite. He knew he was hungry and it was time for him to hunt…….

********************

"Rukawa Kaede!" The sharp no-nonsense voice of his Mathematics sensei sent the pale, raven-haired boy spinning back to reality. He was about to doze off into dreamland when he heard the shrill command of his name.

"Remember your pact with the principal. I wouldn't hesitate to suspend you from any basketball matches." 

The young man gave the sensei one of his infamous glares. Even with a slight frown marring his flawless face right now, there was no hiding the beauty of this young man. He had features so fine they seemed unreal. His small nose was long and straight, raised to an ideal height. His small lips that were cherry-red in colour graced his smooth porcelain complexion in a childlike manner. But what stood out from among the beautiful face was pair of fox-like blue eyes lined with thick black lashes, so blue and cold were his eyes that they seemed to be carved straight out from sapphire.

His features were so beautiful and fine they seemed feminine, but yet at the same time there was nothing unmasculine about the rest of this young man. Standing at 187cm, he was considered extremely tall and he had the lean body of an able athlete. His cool demeanor bordering on insolence, together with his physique allowed him to appear manly despite his pretty face. It was a potent combination.

It was no wonder that he was the heartthrob of Kanagawa University. 

Ignoring the swooning and giggles from his female classmates, he propped his chin on the table using his elbow in an attempt to stay awake. Because of his failing grades and serious lack of attention in classes, the principle made it clear that he could forget about first team basketball unless he improved his grades and kicked his narcoleptic sleeping habit. He decided not to risk it with this particular sensei, there was no way he would risk missing a single match just because of sleep. He figured out he could always sleep during the next class……

********************

"My name is Sendoh Akira." A deep smooth voice came from a spiky-haired boy who had an easy smile on his half-hidden face. He was wearing Armani sunglasses. But even though his face was half-concealed by the sunglasses, it was obvious that this young man was a stunner.

"Oh…..so you are the new transfer student from America?" The old admin clerk from behind the desk remarked, not at all noticing the appearance of the young man before her. Searching through a stack of files, she pulled out a file and pushed it across her table to the young man.

"Ok, sign this. And here are your class list and timetable for the remaining semester. You only have to report for class tomorrow." 

"Hai, Arigatou." Sendoh signed the documents placed before him and with a bow as a form of courtesy, he turned and strolled out of the office with his class list in his hands.

Stepping out into the hallway, Sendoh immediately stood out from the crowd of students. Standing at 190 cm with the body of a male model, coupled with an unusual gravity-defying spiky hairdo, it was hardly a surprise. Gorgeously dressed in a pair of casual blue jeans and a black cashmere sweater which accentuated his pale, translucent skin, Sendoh sauntered down the hallway with his hands casually tucked in his pockets.

Girls were practically falling over each other as they tried to get a glimpse of the new hunk in the school.

Amidst the blushing girls, Sendoh did what he does best……he flashed them one of his trademark smiles, sending the girls into further frenzy. 

His smiles had always served as a facade, a mask to conceal his real inner feelings and thoughts. Few people were able too see through this facade of his, most of the time, they were just contented and comfortable enough with his smiling face to probe further and discover what was really lying beneath.

How ironical……a smile was supposed to represent happiness and yet to Sendoh, a smile was just a veneer of sorrow, sadness and frustration.

Leaving the crowd behind him, Sendoh turned into an empty hallway. He decided to take a walk around the campus to acquaint himself with the surroundings before he called it a day. 

But before he could venture further, his sharp sense of hearing picked up the sound of a basketball thumping in the distance, it was coming from the other side of the building. He had learned to play basketball during his stay in America and it had been one of his favourite sports. Hearing the thumping of basketball now mysteriously made him yearn for some exercise and before he knew it, he was heading towards the gym.

*******************

Tossing his duffel bag onto the sidelines, Rukawa took out his leather basketball and proceeded to the basketball court. The court was empty because it was lunchtime now. Not feeling hungry at all and feeling the sudden urge to play, he had decided to make use of the lunch break to shoot a few hoops.

Dribbling the ball low, Rukawa imagined an opponent in front of him. With a sudden burst of energy, he rushed towards the imaginary opponent in full speed and did a 360 degree turn before he jumped high into the air and did a magnificent one-handed dunk. The reverberating rim sent echoes through the silence of the gym.

Collecting his ball, Rukawa dribbled to the 3-point line and shot a perfect 3-pointer into the air and watched it land silently into the net.

_/Perfect./_

The swooshing sound made by the contact of the ball against the net when it cut through sent waves of satisfaction through the pale boy. He felt a sudden rush of adrenaline and began playing harder, practicing and perfecting every single move he knew, blocking out all other thoughts in his mind he did so. 

But his concentration is his own game was broken when he felt a strong presence in the gym which he just could not ignore. He gets unwanted spectators all the time, most of the time they were either his irritating female fans or just someone who happened to pass by and decided to stop to take a look at the skills of the current ace of the basketball team. 

But his gut feeling and the way his hair stood at the nape of his neck told him otherwise and that this 'presence' was not someone ordinary. With his back facing the entrance of the gym, Rukawa could feel a pair of eyes boring into the back of his head, as if willing him to turn around. The intensity of the stare increased and every nerve in his body screamed for him to run but yet, an unknown force and his own pride was holding him back.

Slowly, he turned around, half expecting some hideous creature to jump up at him. But all he saw was a smiling spiky-haired boy clad with a pair of black sunglasses on his face. 

But the smile on the face of the spiky-haired stranger soon disappeared, instead it was replaced by a look of shock, bewilderment and lastly to one of pure disbelief.

What took place next happened so fast that Rukawa could not follow and the next thing he knew, the stranger was standing right before him.

"Ayumi….." The stranger murmured as he lifted his hands to cradle Rukawa's face. His voice was thick with emotions.

Rukawa felt a tremor of shivers run through his entire body when the cool hands made contact with the skin on his face but yet it felt strangely comforting. Even with the opaque black sunglasses, Rukawa could feel the intensity of his gaze from beneath it and for some reasons, he just could not tear himself away from his gaze and his touch. He wanted that moment to last……..

Time seemed to come to a standstill as the two boys stayed locked in each other's gazes.

In the distance, students could be heard laughing as they made their way back to their respective classes and the interruption seemed to jolt both of the boys out of their trance. 

"Gomenasai" The stranger choked out an apology as he pulled his hands away from Rukawa's face.

And without another word, he turned and left the gym as fast as he came……

********************

TBC


	2. Chapter Two

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**_Remember Me – Chapter Two_**

**Disclaimer: The standard**

**Genre: Supernatural/Romance (Yaoi)**

**Synopsis: Coming back from the dead, he went back to his homeland intending to live a new life but was instead plunged back into those haunting memories when he met a certain pale, raven haired boy……**

******************

Weaving his way through the crowd, Sendoh was totally oblivious to all the activities around him as he made his way to his waiting car. 

His mind was in complete disarray. 

_//Ayumi... //_

Opening the door of his black Porsche with his remote control, which he had earlier parked just outside the main entrance of the school building, Sendoh slid into the luxurious leather sear, ignoring all the curious and admiring stares coming his way. On normal occasions, he would have smiled but not today……he was still in a state of shock…of self-denial.

With trembling fingers, Sendoh turned on his car engine and stepped on the accelerator. He needed to get out of the place fast. Driving past on-looking students, he sped out of the school in his sleek convertible, making heads turned along the way. He drove on and on, pushing through the streets and finally to the highway, with the wind blowing in his face.

He had no idea where he was heading, he was still reeling from the earlier encounter with that boy in the gym.

_//Ayumi…but it can't be her! She is no longer…No!//_

Still, the resemblance was uncanny. The same pale smooth skin, the same silky raven-black hair, the same dainty cherry-red lips and the same eyes…. yes, the same pair of fox-like blue eyes….. eyes that were bluer than sapphire itself… eyes that could hold one in eternal bliss. 

It had been over 100 long years since he last looked into those eyes.

Sendoh was watching the boy play his own game of basketball and was thoroughly impressed by his skills. Watching him play was like watching poetry in motion, his moves were so lithe and graceful it was almost spellbinding. But what drew Sendoh was the utter concentration and single-minded drive that was evident in his play, he was completely oblivious to his surroundings. It was as if only he and his own little game existed during those moments and Sendoh had wanted to breach into that sphere. Unconsciously, he found himself using his Powers to make known his presence, breaking the boy's concentration.

And when the boy _finally turned….._

Sendoh slammed onto his brakes and his car came to an abrupt stop, jerking his whole torso forward. He shut his eyes tightly, his mind refusing to go over the scene that followed. It was too much for him to bear…..

******************

Hoisting his duffel bag into a more comfortable position on his broad shoulders, Rukawa slipped his hands deep into his varsity jacket and walked out the school building. His eyes cold and distant as usual. 

It was the end of the school day for him. For once, he did not fall asleep during the remaining classes, it was more like he could not. Every time he closed his eyes, the earlier incident in the gym came back to him in full force. Everything had happened so fast back there, that it seemed like nothing more than just a dream. A dream he wished he never had to wake up from. All he could remember was the feel of the hands on his face, the ringing of a deep voice that had sounded so ravaged, so hurt….. and the pure intensity of that moment…..

"Kaede!" A familiar voice called out from the distance, knocking Rukawa out of his reverie.

Recognizing the voice, Rukawa chose to ignore the call and instead hastened his steps as he made his way out of the school gate. Once past the gates, he turned into a deserted route that led to his house nearby. He didn't usually use this route but he needed to throw that person off his heels. 

Pausing after a few strides, Rukawa turned and narrowed his eyes, as if the act itself could succeed in willing whoever was coming to get lost. When he was sure that no one was following him, he heaved a very slight relief before he continued the short journey back to his house, his thoughts once again wandering back to the mysterious stranger.

_//Who is he?//_

The question kept churning in his head. He was certainly not one who dwelled on things outside basketball but this time, try as he might, he just could not shake the image out of his mind. The feel of the touch and the sound of the ravaged voice kept playing in his mind, like a broken recorder.

His usually stoic face broke into a rare frown as he recalled the exact words, or rather the exact _word that came out of the stranger's mouth._

_'Ayumi' was what the stranger had called him and the name was whispered with so much emotion._

_//Who is Ayumi?  And why had he looked so shocked?//_

For the first time in his 19 years, Rukawa actually found himself interested in someone out of his own accord. He had always acted indifferently to most people he met, except for a few who had made an extra effort to get close to him. The way he was feeling now was somewhat alien to him.

Lost in this own thoughts, Rukawa was surprised to find himself in front of his house gate. He had been so engrossed he did not even notice the familiar surroundings till he was smacked right in front of it. Sighing inwardly, he pushed opened the heavy metal gate and was greeted by a beautiful garden with neatly-trimmed shrubs flanking the pebbled path leading to his two-story house.

Once inside the house, Rukawa flung his duffel bag onto the floor and slumped himself into one of the leather couches in the lavishly-decorated living room. He was feeling tired, both physically and mentally. The constant remembrance of the mysterious boy had drained him considerably. Though there were numerous questions raging through his mind right now, they were all met with empty answers. Not wanting to think any further, Rukawa closed his eyes, trying to empty his thoughts and as the seconds ticked by……he was on his way to dreamland.

******************

_"Aishiteru… Akira" A beautiful lady with long black hair whispered as she leaned her head onto his broad chest._

_The young man before her smiled upon hearing those words, a genuine smile. He wrapped his strong pale arms around her and pulled her closer, feeling the softness of her body and smelling the fragrance of her silky hair which felt so smooth against his cheek. God…how he wished time could stopped and that they could stay this way forever._

_They stayed embraced in this way in somewhat like an eternity before she gently pulled back by pushing against his chest with her hands._

_"Akira…promise me you will stay this way forever, that you will control your all urges………that you will never kill again…promise me… please, Akira." Her fox-like blue eyes glistening with hope and fear at the same time as she said those words. A mixture of feelings as she awaited the answer._

_The smile on the face of the young man slowly faded as he stared into the eyes of his lover. There was a pleading look in those eyes, begging him not to disappoint her and he could not bear to…could not bear to hurt her._

_"I…I promise…" All he wanted was to make her happy._

_The smile and the shine in her eyes that followed was one of the most unforgettable moments in his life. It was worth all the pain he had to go through, every minute of it…_

_"Thank you, Akira…thank you." She cried in relief as she threw herself once again into his embrace. _

_"Ayumi…"_

"Ayumi…don't go…Ayumi!!!" Cobalt blue eyes flew open. 

_//It was… just a dream.//_

He stayed still for a few minutes, staring up into the ceiling before he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position with his slightly quivering hands. The dream had left him shaken and weak…. it had been a long time since he last dreamt about her. Bringing his hand up to wipe away the droplets of sweat forming on his forehead, Sendoh closed his eyes in an attempt to even his breathing.

Opening his eyes, he turned his head towards the window a few feet from where he was and saw that the sky outside was pitch black. He had somehow fallen asleep on his red velvet chaise longue. Slowly, he stood up and made his way across the richly carpeted floor towards the open window, he needed some fresh air. 

Placing his hands on the ledge, Sendoh stared blankly into the quiet night. A slight breeze blew, sweeping the few strands of hair that had fallen out of place from his usual spiky hairdo, away from his colourless face. From where he was standing, he could see the tranquility of the forest just in front of his mansion. The close proximity of the forest was one of the reasons why he chose this two-story mansion which was situated on the outskirts of the town as his residence. The forest served as his hunting ground, away from prying eyes and the mansion being on the outskirts, gave him the much needed privacy.

Looking at the forest now made Sendoh realized how dry his mouth and throat were, his veins felt parched. The last time he fed was yesterday night. He had meant to feed again in the afternoon but somehow his chanced meeting with the boy…. God…he can't think about him at this time. He needed to feed badly now, his rationality was shredding. Shaking his head as if to get rid of his current thoughts, Sendoh grabbed his black denim jacket and made his way down the stairs with a speed unrivaled by any human being. In a flash, he was out of the mansion, his silhouette disappearing into the forest.

*******************

"So you just came back from America?"

"Hai. Just got back here the day before." The young man replied in a polite manner, along with a generous smile on his handsome face, half-hidden by a pair of Armani sunglasses.

Sendoh was walking towards the class room for his first lesson in Kanagawa University with the varsity's admin clerk. The kindly old man with a full crop of grey hair had been kind enough to offer his help after Sendoh had walked into the admin office lost, asking for directions. 

"Oh… When was the last time you were in Japan?"

_//Well…about 200 years ago?//_

"Oh….. hmm....about 18 years ago, I guess. I left for America since I was a toddler." Sendoh lied nonchalantly.

"That's a long time ago. Things have changed quite a bit during these years."

"Yes… it sure has." The young man smiled wryly, his thoughts drifting to the olden days which were a far cry from the present.

"Ah… do you have any hobbies? Maybe you can join some of the activities that are available in the varsity and get to know more friends."

_//Yeah. I love hunting though.//_

Rubbing the nape of his neck with his hand, Sendoh tried to think of appropriate answers but his mind came to a blank.

"No... I can't think of any."

The sensei's eyebrows arched in surprise. "Oh.. I was expecting you to be a basketball player, with your height and coming from the 'Land of basketball'" 

_//Basketball…//_

The word 'basketball' threatened to remind Sendoh of the events the day before but was spared the agony when the older man stopped in his tracks, bringing him back to the present.

"Here we are. This is your new class." Without waiting for a response, the older man turned to knock on the door of the classroom.

"Minako-san, sorry to disturb you but here is your new student." The smiling man introduced as he gestured for Sendoh to come forward and greet the teacher.

The young man did as he was told with a courteous bow. "Good morning, sensei"

"Oh…I was expecting you the whole morning." The lady seemingly in her mid-forties smiled at the young man before her before she turned her attention back to the admin clerk to exchange a few words of formality.

From outside the class, Sendoh could hear the noises and chattering made by the students as they took advantage of the sensei's absence and he felt excitement rushing through his body. It had been a long time since he last mingled with a crowd.

"Thank you, Kuwata-san." The lady sensei said before she turned towards the young man and continued, "Ok, come in now, Sendoh".

Following her into the classroom, Sendoh could feel all eyes on him and the earlier chatters died down as the class now turned their attention to new student before them. They were visibly intrigued by the sunglasses-clad young man with a weird hairdo.

"Ok now class, we have a new student all the way from America who will be joining us for the rest of the year. Now, I want all of you to be nice and make sure he feels at home." 

Upon the introduction, Sendoh smiled one of his trademark smiles and removed his sunglasses as he took a bow. "My name is Sendoh Akira, pleased to meet you."

When he stood right up again, several gasps could be heard from around the class. 

He had the most extraordinary pair of cobalt blue eyes, contrasting heavily with his pale, translucent skin. His eyes were powerful and hypnotizing in which one could get lost in forever. And with an easy smile gracing his face, he looked stunningly gorgeous. 

The next minute, excited whispers erupted from around the class and the girls in the class started giggling. The class was clearly excited and amazed by the addition of the new student.

Amidst the slight commotion, Sendoh felt a presence in the room, a familiar presence and his body tensed up. His cerulean blue eyes scanned the room filled with excited students for the source and his eyes stopped short at a forlorn figure right at the back of the classroom.

He slowly lifted his gaze, traveling up the lean body to the smooth pale neck and finally up to the face before he settled on a pair of fox-like blue eyes….. which were staring right back at him.

*****************

TBC


	3. Chapter Three

**_Remember Me – Chapter Three_**

**Disclaimer: The standard**

**Genre: Supernatural/Angst (Yaoi)**

**Synopsis: Coming back from the dead, he went back to his homeland intending to live a new life but was instead plunged back into those haunting memories when he met a certain pale, raven haired boy……**

_//……………// = Thoughts_

_~……………~ = Wave of thoughts_

Akane: ^^ Hope you like it! Here's the next chappy!

Ckfox07: *glomps* Yeah yeah!! Sensen will always be a super seme! Great job on PIC!

White Meteor: Transform Kaede? Hehhee…you sure think far ahead! ^____^

Fiery Frost: Hmm…. I duno. Contrary to what most people think, Kaede's not exactly the reincarnation of Ayumi, so I am not sure if he will ever 'remember'. Read on!

Sakura88: Thx! Am continuing!

SLL: *glomps* Hihi gal! Here's the next chappy.

Nothingtodo: *jumps up and down* So happy you reviewed cos I know you are not into Yaoi. ^____^ Hope you will continue reading the fic!

This is a crappy and long chappy… so bear with it. ^^

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Sprawling his head on the table, Rukawa took his chance to nap when the sensei took her attention off the class to welcome a certain new student. 

He sure had no interest nor any intention to get himself acquaint with the new student, whoever he or she was.

"Ok now class, we have a new student all the way from America who will be joining us for the rest of the year. Now, I want all of you to be nice and make sure he feels at home."

_//A student from __America__?//_

Now that was a different case. Curious, Rukawa took a peep from beneath his black bangs with his head still lazily sprawled on the table. With all the heads blocking his view, he could only catch a glimpse of the new student. He had spiky hair…..

_//Spiky hair?//_

Rukawa immediately sat right up.

_//It's him//_

Rukawa could only stare in disbelief as the boy who had been haunting his mind since yesterday stood in the front of the room, dressed in a black woolen turtleneck and black jeans, with a dark brown haversack casually slung over his shoulders.

Shudders ran through the raven-haired boy when the voice of the new student rang in his ears as he introduced himself. The familiar voice reminding him of yesterday's encounter.

Like the entire class, he was also taken aback by the cobalt blue eyes. They were like no eyes he had seen before, they were unusual.

His heart involuntarily picked up speed when he saw those blue eyes scanned the room, as if looking for something, or rather someone….

His breathing stopped as those blue eyes fixed directly onto his.

****************

The smile on Sendoh's face froze for a split second as his eyes fell upon the image of the boy which had been residing in his mind despite all his efforts to banish him.

"Thank you for your introduction, Sendoh-san." The sensei smiled through her thanks as her eyes roamed the class before she continued, "You can take the only seat left right at the back of the class. Beside Rukawa."

_//Rukawa…//_

Every single muscle in the young man's body tensed up upon hearing the command.

A small nod was all Sendoh could muster as he strolled towards the seat at the back of the room, with one hand gripping onto the strap of his bag which was swung over his broad shoulders.

As he was nearing the seat, his other grip on his sunglasses tightened, threatening to break the expensive shades into pieces. He was trying hard to conceal his real emotions with his casual behaviour but in actual fact, he was close to losing his sanity.

With eyes fixed unwavering on the empty table as he made his way over, Sendoh could feel every pair of eyes in the class on him. But an exceptionally intense stare stood out from among the many, willing him to return the gaze.

Placing his bag and shades on the table, Sendoh proceeded to take his seat. His eyes, all the while avoiding the stare of a pair of piercing eyes on his left… never once did he even look in that direction.

*****************

_//He don't remember me//_

Surprising even himself, Rukawa felt something, akin to disappointment coursed through him as the realization hit him.

Since when did he care about what others thought of him?

The spiky-haired boy had totally ignored him, as if he was invisible, not even once looking in his direction despite his intense stare. It was as if they had never met before, as if yesterday's encounter never happened.

*****************

Despite his calm demeanor and the occasional smiles he flashed the giggling girls who turned around every few minutes, Sendoh's rationality was shredding away, bit by bit….

It was bad enough when the boy was out of sight, when only his beautiful image sat on the edge of his consciousness. But to be in the same room as him, to be able to feel and touch him with just an outstretch arm was torture in its purest form.

He was aware of every breath the boy took, no matter how soft…..every movement the boy made, no matter how slight and it was more than he could bear. The self-control he had on was immense.

Ever since he sat down beside the boy, he never once looked to his left. He did not want to look into those fox-like blue eyes. He was afraid….afraid of what he would do….afraid that if he did, he would lose his self-control and take the boy right in front of everybody. Running his tongue over his teeth, Sendoh felt a tingling sensation from beneath them. Seeing the boy had reawakened his hunger. But it was a different form of hunger, one that was out of desire, not need.

Using his Powers, Sendoh tried to block out his awareness of the boy beside him before he did anything unforgivable.

But with only a small forest hare as a feed in the morning, there was no way Sendoh could sustain using his Powers for long and soon he felt his Powers weakened. With a defeated sign, he stopped using them and decided to resign himself to the agony, swearing to himself that he would not do anything rash. He waited for the presence of the boy to overwhelm him.

He waited… but none came. Instead, all that he felt was just a quiet and peaceful presence. In fact, so quiet it was almost non-existent.

Curious, Sendoh turned his head ever so slightly to his left, blue irises looking out from the corner of the eyes. 

What greeted his sight just took his breath away. Subconsciously, Sendoh turned his head fully to his left and allowed his eyes to drink in the sleeping form of the boy who had his head lying on the table, cushioned by his own arms.

Sendoh marveled at the beauty of the young man before him. He had soft snowy skin, resembling that of a baby. His cherry-red lips were parted slightly, making him looked vulnerable and innocent. He had on such a serene look on his face that Sendoh found himself entranced. Long thick, fluttery lashes cast soft shadows under the closed eyes which were half obscured by the silky black bags, entranced Sendoh even further. Somewhere from within him, despite the pain, Sendoh wished he could look into those fox-like blue eyes again.

Suddenly, as if in answer to his silent wish, those fox-like eyes flutter opened. 

Sendoh's breath got caught in his chest those sapphire blue eyes met his. He wanted to pull away but found himself helpless as those beautiful depths of sapphire blue steadily held his gaze, forbidding him to turn away.

Looking into the all-too familiar fox-like eyes, memory engulfed him, coming back thick and fast, as if he was skimming through the pages of his life journal. A particular entry flashed before him vividly…

_//Ayumi…//_

Pain coursed through him like a thousand needles pricking on his nerves. 

_//If only…If only I had given in to my desires…//_

All of a sudden, Sendoh became acutely aware of the warmth radiating from the boy, the sweet throb of his pulse, the smoothness of his pale slim neck which had its back exposed as the boy remained slumped over the table. A forbidden desire was slowly building up from within him and to his own horror, Sendoh found himself giving in, even welcoming the desire. Flicking his tongue back and forth over his canine teeth, Sendoh envisioned the pleasure he would experience from sinking them into that delicate skin…he wanted the boy…

_NO! With all the energy he could muster, Sendoh jerked himself out of the trance and broke his gaze with the raven-haired boy. Turning his head to face the front of the class, he channeled all his attention back to the lessons on hand. His own pulse was racing, and his body shaking slightly from the immense self-control he had just went through…_

Closing his eyes briefly, Sendoh tried to regain back his composure, wishing with all his heart that the lesson would end soon, so as to release him from the anguish.

On his left, a flicker of emotion passed through the usually expressionless face of a certain raven-haired boy before he closed his eyes once again. 

*************

Echoes reverberated through the empty gym as Rukawa successfully made a reverse dunk.

To the untrained eye, the basketball ace might be seen as playing his usual game, smooth and flawless. But if one made a more careful observation, his moves were rushed and concentration detached. Underneath the cool exterior and impassive face, emotions ran deep…

No one had ever evoked so much emotion in him, _no one. He, himself did not even know he was capable of such powerful emotions. What he had felt back in the classroom, similar to what he felt yesterday in the gym, was beyond his own understanding. It was a mixture of fear, excitement, helplessness, and passion._

_Passion…_

He had felt eyes watching him as he slept. Opening his eyes, he found himself looking into the most amazing pair of eyes. From afar, those eyes were a striking cobalt blue but from a close distance, no words could really describe the shade of blue of those eyes, they were really a colour by itself. 

And it was those eyes that mesmerized Rukawa, made his heartbeat quicken, made breathing seemed like the hardest thing to do, made him forget where he was... 

Lost in the depths of those eyes, Rukawa wished he never had to pull himself out but what the new student felt was definitely the contrary, for the new student had looked stricken…stricken with pain, as if he couldn't stand another minute looking at him.

But yet the new student never looked away. And as the seconds passed, his gaze softened. Just when Rukawa felt hope stirring up in him, that handsome face hardened suddenly and turned away just as abruptly, never looking back again.

And Rukawa had felt _hurt._

********************

Using his cat-like reflexes, Sendoh left the gym quietly and made his way into the cold night towards his black Porsche, making sure the raven-haired boy remained unaware of his presence. He knew it was going to be soon before the boy called it a day.

He had been standing hidden, watching the boy trained with his team mates since late afternoon and had stayed on even after the training ended, to watch the boy practice alone. He had no idea why was he even doing this…

_//He is not Ayumi…//_

But yet he was attracted to the boy. 

The boy bore an uncanny resemblance to his previous lover but under closer scrutiny, there were many subtle differences. His flawless skin was a shade or two darker albeit still considered very fair. His raven black hair was thicker and his lips less full. And his eyes… his eyes were bluer and cold, unlike Ayumi's warm gaze.

Again, memories of his past threatened to cloud his mind. Why was he even dwelling on the past and reopening old wounds? Shaking his head to rid himself of the painful memories, Sendoh gently steered his car out of the school and into the street. 

Driving along the busy street, Sendoh tried to distract himself with the many shops, cafes, supermarkets and restaurant that flanked the street. As he continued driving, he came into a quieter street lined with brightly-coloured discos and clubs. Amidst the numerous neon lightings, a dark but simple and classy club, named 'Eternal Euphoria' caught his attention. It stood out from the rest with its understatement and lack of loud decorations. Not only was it because of the decoration but a certain aura exuded from the place. Sendoh couldn't quite place his hand on the aura, but it was beckoning him on… beckoning him to enter.

And he did.

Pulling his sleek convertible at the driveway, Sendoh stepped out of the black car in his all-black attire. He was still dressed in his black woolen turtleneck and black Armani jeans, the same attire he had adorned to school earlier in the day. The only areas exposed were his handsome, chiseled face and smooth slim hands, their paleness a direct contrast to his black attire. Black had always been his colour. 

Sauntering up to the counter where a beefy bouncer stood guard, Sendoh flashed the bouncer a trademark smile.

The bouncer took a top-down glance at the young man before him who emanated a relaxed confidence. Satisfied, even impressed with the expensive clothes and car, the bouncer flashed back a smile of his own before saying, "It's free entry tonight."

"Oh… I see. Thank you." Raising his eyebrows slightly as his eyes roamed to a signboard a few feet away which clearly read '3500 yen per entry', Sendoh coolly sidestepped the bouncer and made his way into the disco.

Unveiling the black velvety curtains aside, a dungeon-like spiral staircase was all that greeted Sendoh. It was supposed to be an underground club. With cat-like grace, he slowly descended, his black leather boots making no sound as he did so. No fancy ornaments adorned the two walls of the stairs, it was just plain unpolished granite. As he continued his way down the spiral stairs, a kissing couple pressed against the wall came into view. The man had his back facing Sendoh, hovering over his lady partner who had her supposedly knee-length leather skirt pulled all the way up to just covering her modesty, revealing long slim legs.

As he came within a short distance of the couple, something made Sendoh turned to look at them.

Following his inner call, Sendoh turned and saw a pair of gleaming green eyes looking back at him. The eyes were nearly all black, with only the edges a bright green. The pupils were fully dilated.

_//One of us!//_

The green eyes regarded Sendoh for a moment before he turned his attention back to now totally-aroused girl who was begging him to take her. He too, had sensed Sendoh's presence.

Recovering from his slight shock, Sendoh continued to descend the stairs, his steps a little faster than before.

With a final turn down the spiral stairs, the full view of the club came into view. The club was rather huge with its high ceiling which had a magnificent revolving crystal ball hanging from the top of the dance floor. Numerous powerful disco lights littered the rest of the ceiling space. With its bare granite walls and olden décor, the club resembled 18th century housing. Deep red, velvety couches were sprawled all over the club. Soft rock music played in the background. Two long luxurious bar counters occupied each side of the club.

The club was relatively empty except for a few people lounging around for the night was still very young. 

Walking over to the bar counter on his right, Sendoh sat himself on a high stool. A young waiter immediately came to provide his service

"What would you like, Sir?" The waiter was being extra polite. Judging from the stylish dressing, he reckoned the young customer to be loaded and was hoping for a fat tip later on. 

"A Margarita will do, please." Sendoh placed his order without much thought. Whatever he drank was not much of a difference, he just needed a drink to make him look in place and besides, he had more pressing matters on hand than to fuss over his choice of drinks.

"Sure, coming right up."

While waiting for the eager waiter to serve him his Margarita, Sendoh observed his surroundings. An uneasy feeling was settling down on him.

_//Could there be more of us here?//_

As if in answers to his doubts, two heads over at the opposite bar counter turned to look at Sendoh. Eyes gleaming from the distance, resembling those of a cat's.

Sendoh returned their gaze with a steady gaze of his own. After a few seconds of exchange, the two sitting opposite lowered their gazes in slight respect before turning back to face the rows of bottles of wine and liquor arranged on the mirrored shelves of the bar counter.

_//They are relatively new//_

"Sir, here is your drink. Enjoy."

The arrival of his order snapped Sendoh out of his thoughts. Fishing out a 5000 yen note, Sendoh slid it across the bar top before adding, "Keep the change."

The young waiter failed to hide his glee when he answered with an overly-wide smile, "Thank you."

"Kiddo, how long have this place been around?" Sendoh asked the waiter curiously.

"Ohh…about only 2 months old. Our customers are mostly regulars here." 

_//Regulars?//_

"Oh… this must be a pretty 'in' place to be then. Are those two at the opposite bar counter regulars here too?" Sendoh asked nonchalantly as he jabbed a thumb behind him.

The waiter's eyes followed the direction his thumb jabbed before casually exclaiming, "Yupz, they come here pretty often too. And they are really popular with the girls here, girls flocked to them like bees to honey."

_//Well, they are courting death//_

"Oh… when will the crowd start coming in?"

"Ah… the real party only starts after midnight but the crowd will start coming in at about 10pm." Just as he had finished the sentence, the young waiter was called upon by another attractive female customer dressed in revealing skin-tight dress at the other end of the counter.

"If you excuse me, Sir, I will be back shortly." Having said that, the young waiter walked over to the female customer, who had by now noticed Sendoh and was smiling at him seductively.

Not one to embarrass the opposite sex and being the ever gentleman that he was, Sendoh forced a smile on his handsome face and without waiting for any further response, he disinterestedly turned his stool around so that his elbow could rest on the bar counter, with his back leaning against the counter. 

Running his sharper than normal eyes across the club, Sendoh noticed more crowd than before. His sharp eyesight and predator instincts led him to another two pairs of gleaming eyes among the new crowd. They, too had sensed Sendoh's vampire aura and turned to look at the newcomer in the club. But before Sendoh could get a better look at them, his vision was filled by a well-endowed bosom clad in a plunging V-neck dress.

It was the earlier female customer.

"Hi… gorgeous, are you alone? Care to have a drink together?" The voluptuous lady purred as she expertly leaned nearer towards Sendoh in a subtle manner, offering a generous view of her ample cleavage.

For a normal guy, one would have noticed her full assets, but all Sendoh took notice of at the moment was the throbbing jugular vein beneath her exposed neck. He imagined how pleasurable and sweet it would be to sink into the vulnerable neck, sucking and feeling the warm flow of blood through his entire body.

Suppressing his urge to empty every drop in her body, Sendoh tried to discourage any further advance by replying in his deadly cold voice, "No, thank you. I can manage on my own."

It was for her own good. She had no idea what she was playing with.

"Oh, if you say so." The lady was clearly disappointed and offended at being snubbed. With a toss of her hair, she turned and made her way to the other end of the room.

Relieved at being left alone, Sendoh returned to observing the environment but was soon snapped out of it when a voice invaded his mind.

_~Seems like you are still sticking to that vegetarian diet of yours after all these years, Sendoh~_

Startled, Sendoh's eyes quickly searched the club for the source.

As if on cue, a tall muscular man stepped out from the crowd and walked towards Sendoh in big confident strides, his movement graceful and refined, resembling that of a leopard. Brown cashmere sweater clung onto his bronze taut body with the sleeves pushed up to above the elbow, revealing a pair of strong arms which were casually tucked into the pockets of his black suede pants. 

A smile slowly spread across Sendoh's face as the man neared him.           

"Another Margarita" The man ordered as he sat himself on the high stool beside Sendoh before he turned his attention back to the young man beside him, "You never change, do you Sendoh?"

"I never knew we _could change, Maki." The grin still plastered on his face._

A good-natured smirk formed on Maki's face. "You know I was referring to your diet."

Silence ensued.

"You know it's a promise I made to her." Sendoh's voice was lower and softer than usual when he finally replied. His earlier grin wiped off. Bringing his Margarita up to his lips, Sendoh closed his eyes to force out the memories threatening to flood his mind, his grip on the glass tightening. 

"It wasn't your fault. She would have left you sooner or later, it was only a matter of time." If Maki ever felt regret for digging up Sendoh's unhappy past, his deep velvety voice and cold-hard, striking dark-brown eyes showed none of it.

Downing the last drop of his drink, Sendoh turned himself around and placed the empty glass on the bar counter. His eyes staring hard at his own reflection.

"So how long have you been here? Thought you were in New Jersey. " Maki tried to alter the tense atmosphere with a causal change of topic.

"A couple of days ago. What about you?" Sendoh said as he looked across the club. He caught sight of another pair of unusual gleaming eyes amongst the small crowd and before Maki could answer, Sendoh shot him another question.

"By the way, what's with the crowd?"

Knowing fully what Sendoh meant, an amused grin appeared on Maki's face. "So you noticed, thought you would be too weak."

"I am not that weak, Maki" Sendoh retorted with a grin on his face, his usual smiling face back in place.

Maki smirked again before his face grew serious. "Came back here a week ago from Italy, actually its more like we fled. 12 bodies were found in the same district in Italy, all died from the same cause, loss of blood. The authorities then set up a special force with weapons capable to take us down. We are being hunted now, Sendoh. We are the preys now."

"Any idea who did it?"

A frown akin to worry, appeared on Maki's face. "Michael. Michael Okita."

A look of surprise flickered across Sendoh's face before it resumed its usual calm façade.

Seeing no other response from the spiky-haired boy, Maki chose to continue, "He finally came back after 100 years, blood-thirsty as always."

Turning his head slightly to his right to face Maki, Sendoh asked in a casual tone, "He did all 12 of them alone?"

"Yes and No. Yes, He was alone but no, he did not finish of 12 of them. Well, 2 were courtesy of a reckless idiot who had no idea how to control his urges even after so many decades." Maki rolled his eyes at the last bit of the sentence.

Noting the exasperated look on Maki's handsome face. Sendoh knew exactly who he was referring to. "Speaking of the devil then, where is he?"

"I thought you would never ask, Sendoh". A third voice drawled from behind. Voice husky and deep, with a hypnotizing effect.

Smiling, Sendoh turned his chair around to face the owner of the mesmerizing voice. The sight that greeted Sendoh's eyes was even more mesmerizing.

Looking sleek and elegant in his faded pair of blue jeans which showed off his strong lean legs and a black sweater, covered over by a black leather jacket of an unusual cut. Mitsui glided across the short distance towards Sendoh and Maki, a lazy smirk on his gorgeous face. An air of pure arrogance surrounding him.

Looking into the striking dark blue eyes as Mitsui came to a stop in front of him, Sendoh couldn't help but be impressed by Mitsui's good looks. He was incredibly handsome and attractive with his piercing dark blue eyes and cocky attitude. His face structure was a sculptor's dream and his sensual features perfect under a shock of blue-black hair. Every inch of his taut body screamed 'danger' but yet women flocked to him like helpless flies to a waiting spider.

"I do not appreciate being called an idiot behind my back." Mitsui threw Maki a dirty look as he lazily leaned himself against the top of the bar counter beside Sendoh.

Maki just rolled his eyes.

From the radiance and powerful aura emitting from Mitsui, Sendoh could see that he had fed well tonight. Mitsui was one who had no qualms about feeding out of desire, not to mention need.

Maki, too had noticed the glow on Mitsui's skin.

"Hope you are smart enough not to leave your victim drained like the last time."

Narrowing his eyes at Maki, Mitsui chose to ignore the comment and instead turned his attention to Sendoh. 

"It's been a long time, Sendoh. Glad to see that you are still alive, despite your measly diet."

Sendoh smiled. Knowing Mitsui, it was the most affectionate way of greeting him possible.

"I thought that old pal of yours couldn't be more ruthless than he already was but I guess I was wrong. The throats of the 10 victims were totally ripped apart and they had all suffered from shock. He didn't even bother to lure or hypnotize them with his charm."

Mitsui shrugged nonchalantly before he continued, "Seems like your ex-partner had gotten even more ruthless than the 2 of you combined last time."

Maki shot Mitsui a withering look but he was too late.

The smile on Sendoh's face faltered slightly at the last bit of sentence.

"Got to go. It's getting too crowded for my liking." Sendoh said as he pulled himself up from the high stool. The crowd was starting to stream in.

And without another word, he disappeared into the crowd.

************************

TBC


	4. Chapter Four

**_Remember Me – Chapter Four _**

**Disclaimer:** The standard

**Genre:** Supernatural/Romance (Yaoi)

**Synopsis:** Coming back from the dead, he went back to his homeland intending to live a new life but was instead plunged back into those haunting memories when he met a certain pale, raven haired boy……

Dedicated to all those in AK ML and also to those who had taken part in the poll!!

_//Italics// _– Personal Thoughts

_~Italics~_ - Waves of thoughts sent out

***********************

Standing hidden behind the gym door, Sendoh watched in awe as Rukawa successfully did another powerful dunk that sent echoes through the empty gym. He had seen the boy dunked countless times since he decided to make his stay in the gym a daily routine, but every successful dunk never failed to impress him. The boy was simply a genius in basketball.

It had a week since he first met the boy and his image never once left his mind, torturing him constantly by playing on the edge of his consciousness. It was all the more agonizing when he had to spend two hours everyday in the same arithmetic class with the boy by his side, taking in his raw beauty, memorizing his every move and yet not being able to speak to him…..he couldn't even bring himself to face the boy directly, much less speak to him. He was afraid…afraid of closing the distance between them, afraid of what would follow once the gap had been bridged, afraid of what he might do….

He could only watch him from a distance.

This was the only way the boy could be safe….safe from creatures like him….

_//creatures like him//_

A slight frown appeared on Sendoh's face. It had been five days since his encounter with his old mates back in the club named 'Eternal Euphoria'. Remembering the 'crowd' and his little conversation with Maki, Sendoh felt his blood run cold. If what Maki said was true, this town would soon be infested with his kind and no doubt, danger would lurk for all human kind…..including the boy standing right in front of him.

_Including the boy standing right in front of him._

Sendoh's breath got caught in his chest as he found himself staring into the familiar fox-life eyes that had been plaguing his dreams every night since a week ago. He had been so engrossed in his thoughts that he did not notice the sudden absence of the sound of a thumping basketball, did not notice an orange ball rolling towards him, did not notice the sound of basketball shoes walking his way…..

Now it was too late, too late to flee….

Silence ensued as both boys stayed locked in each other's gaze…..none made any movements, as if for fear of breaking the moment.

It was a deliberate attempt on Rukawa's part. He had deliberately allowed the ball to run out of play. For days, he had been aware of Sendoh's presence despite efforts on the boy's part to keep himself out of sight. He had tried to catch the spiky-haired boy's eyes on several occasions in class but each time, he was met with rejection as Sendoh would turn his head away. Now being caught unaware, it was now or never…..

Bending down to pick up the orange sphere at his feet, Rukawa then spun the ball on his index finger and mumbled, "You are from America? One on one?"

His heart was thumping and his pulse raced as he said those words but his passive face betrayed none of his emotions.

"Coming from the motherland of basketball doesn't necessarily mean I know how to play." Sendoh finally managed to find his voice after a momentary loss. He was about to turn and leave when the voice rang in his ears again, this time a taunting tone.

"You are afraid of losing." There was no way Rukawa would let him go so easily after all the failed attempts, even if it meant starting out in the wrong way.

Surprise flickered across Sendoh's face as he registered the words. If there was one thing the spiky-haired boy couldn't take lying down, it had to be insolence. From within him came a sudden desire to prove the boy wrong, or at least give him a run for his money.

"Ok. So how is your game played? First to 21 points?" Sendoh relented as he shrugged off his denim jacket, getting himself ready.

"First to 20 points." Rukawa corrected as he turned and made his way onto the court, just in time to hide the slightest smile that was threatening to break onto his face.

*********************

The game was a close match with Rukawa the one having the more superior basketball skills. But whatever the difference in skills between the 2 boys was made up for by Sendoh's supremacy in speed and body reflexes. Even without utilizing his supernatural abilities, he could jump higher and react faster. Many a time, Rukawa found himself unable to get past the older boy based on speed alone. He had to use his skills and experience in order to breach the sturdy defense. 

"Shit." Sendoh cursed under his breath as the raven-haired boy finally sped past him after a series of fakes.

With Sendoh still rooted to his spot, Rukawa ran on to complete an easy lay-up.

The game was now tied at 18-18.

Whipping around, sending droplets of sweat flying from his hair in the process, Rukawa softly retorted as he threw the orange sphere to the older boy, "This game is mine."

Narrowing his eyes, Sendoh felt something burned inside him. No one had ever spoken to him in such a manner, so filled with confidence, maybe even arrogance… no one….. not even _his kind_.

Dribbling the orange sphere between his paler than usual hands, Sendoh came to a stop in front of the defensively-prepared younger boy and bent himself as low so as to face the younger boy at eye level. "Really?" A smirk slowly formed on his face as he questioned the Rukawa's statement.

Facing Sendoh at eye level, all Rukawa saw was a darkening of those extraordinary blue eyes, made possible by a dilation of the pupils and the next thing he knew, the image of his opponent blurred before him and in an instant, Sendoh had evaded him and was on his way to the basket for a dunk.

Turning around, what Rukawa saw shocked himself to his spot….. Sendoh took off for the basket way before the free-throw line and flew through the air effortlessly to make a power slam…

The game was now 20-18, in Sendoh's favour. 

Landing noiselessly on the court like a cat, Sendoh nonchalantly turned around to look at the boy still rooted to the same spot and declared, "I won."

The victory statement was delivered in a simple and matter-of-fact tone, as if it was destined to be.

Recovering from his shock, Rukawa gave the boy standing in front of him one of his infamous glares and without another word, he turned and walked towards the sidelines to get his duffel bag.

Slightly taken aback by the unexpected reaction, Sendoh chose to let it pass and instead, walked towards the exit of the gym. Looking out into the darkness, he realized that it was late in the night. Grabbing his denim jacket that was lying on the floor and without even thinking, he opened his mouth as Rukawa walked past him, "It's late. Where do you live? I'll drive you home."

Rukawa paused in his steps and before he knew what he was doing, he surprised himself by accepting the invitation, "I live a few streets away."

As soon as he let the words out, Rukawa smacked himself inwardly. He had to be out of his mind. He was acting so unlike his usual aloof self by accepting a ride from someone he hardly knew, especially someone he just lost a basketball game to. But somehow, deep down inside, he was glad about the invitation. It was something he had been hoping for since the first day he saw the spiky-haired boy.

"I will drive you home then. My car is just parked around the corner, outside the gym." Sendoh repeated his invitation as he came to a stop slightly in front of the Rukawa, as if waiting for the younger boy to follow him.

And Rukawa did what was expected of him. Together, they walked of the building into the cool, peaceful night towards a set of gleaming sleek, black wheels that was parked a distance away. 

During the short walk, none made any attempt at conversation. The atmosphere was awkward and tense. Even Rukawa who was usually immune to such situations, felt slightly tense. Walking behind Sendoh with his hands in the pockets of his blazer, he tried to ignore the awkwardness by concentrating on the Sendoh's back view. Taking a top-down look with his sapphire blue eyes, Rukawa made out the boy walking in front of him to be slightly taller and his skin even fairer than his own. With a closer look at the taller boy, Rukawa noticed something unusual…. he was not sweating profusely, even though they just had a fierce game. No, he was not even sweating at all…. his neck was clean and dry and his knitted pull-over was just as dry… but before Rukawa had time to reason out, he was knocked out of his reverie by the beeping of Sendoh's car.

Getting himself into the driver's seat, Sendoh leaned to his left to unlock and pushed open the passenger door as a sign for Rukawa to get into the car.

As soon as Rukawa sat himself in the car, Sendoh's sharper than usual sense of hearing picked up a rumbling sound….

"You are hungry. Want to grab dinner before I send you back?"

A frown marred Rukawa's flawless face. 

And when his question was met with no reply, Sendoh continued, "I take that as a yes. Any suggestions? I have yet to acquaint myself in this district." 

A few seconds pass before Rukawa finally said, "Round this corner, there is an Italian restaurant."

"Sounds nice." With that, Sendoh drove out of the school compound, into the night….

******************

It was a small simple restaurant, situated at a quiet corner of the street. Pulling his wheels to a stop at the drive way, Sendoh got himself out of the car and locked the luxurious wheels with his remote control. With his hands tucked in the pockets of his faded jeans, he casually strolled towards the entrance of the restaurant where Rukawa was already waiting for him.

"Table for 2?" The waitress asked as she looked up at the 2 young men. She was obviously stunned by them. 

"Yes, table for 2." Sendoh reaffirmed her guess with a trademark smile.

If it wasn't for her familiarity and routine habits of her job, the waitress would have stood rooted to her spot. Instead she dazedly led the 2 boys to a corner table, over looking the street. 

Sitting themselves opposite each other, both of them were handed a worn-out menu by the still love-struck waitress. "Our dinner special tonight is Beef Spaghetti. It comes with a drink of your choice, a salad and soup-of-the-day. And the soup of the day is Clam Chowder." The waitress delivered the introduction of the dinner special in a practiced and repetitive manner, as if she had been reciting the lines the entire day. Her eyes all the while flicking to and fro from Rukawa to Sendoh, as if she couldn't decide which was better to look at.

"Give me a Dinner Special." Rukawa gave his order without much thought. He was famished, anything that was edible was fine with him. Besides, he couldn't bear another second of the waitress openly drooling at them.

"Sure, no problem. How about you, Sir?" The bedazzled waitress asked as she shifted her attention to her right.

"Just a coffee will do." Sendoh placed his order along with a generous smile.

The waitress looked like she was about to faint with happiness and bliss as she numbly took down the orders before finally making her way back to the kitchen.

_//A coffee? That's all he is going to have for dinner?//_

Rukawa tilted his head slightly as the thought ran through his mind. He was considered a light eater by standard and here he was, about to die of starvation and yet, all the boy in front of him ordered was a cup of coffee.

"Oh… I am going home for dinner." Sendoh quickly explained as he read Rukawa's thoughts. As soon as he said that, Sendoh cursed himself silently for his carelessness and lack of composure. In his haste to prevent the young man from suspecting anything amiss with his diet, he had succeeded in making things worse by reading his mind. He was never this careless or un-composed before. Anxious to quash any unwanted questions that might come his way, Sendoh flashed the raven-haired boy one of his most charming smiles. 

Looking at the smiling face in front of him, Rukawa remained expressionless. Even though he was attracted to the smile, he couldn't help but feel that the smile was somehow guarded and trained, as if it served as a shield to something secret, something personal. The smile seemed warm but yet at the same time, it seemed to keep one at a distance.

"So, you have been playing basketball for a long time?" A question by Sendoh jolted Rukawa out of his thoughts.

"Since I was 5" 

"Oh… that's really young." Not expecting such a short and direct answer, Sendoh was at a loss in continuing the conversation.

"You?" Came the soft question. Rukawa was never one who indulged in conversation but the spiky-haired boy in front of him was an exception….

"Erm…" Caught unaware, Sendoh wrinkled his nose as he thought of an appropriate answer. "Well, about a couple of years ago. Saw a bunch of boys sweating their way through the game. They looked like they were enjoying themselves a whole lot. So decided to take up the game… more like out of curiosity. But I only get to play once in a while."

"Why?"

Sendoh felt bitterness swelling up in him. _//Who can I play with?//_

As much as Sendoh loved basketball, there were only rare chances where he got to play the game with the people he occasionally acquainted himself with. He never dared to get too close to them for fear of the bond of friendship that might develop, for fear of the danger he might bring to them or worse, for fear of the exposure of his secret….and over time, they slowly start to exclude him from their games.

With a wry smile, Sendoh looked out the window and lied, "I hardly have the time."

An image of the spiky-haired boy doing a power slam flashed across Rukawa's mind as he said, "You are good." He had never seen anyone capable of that kind of dunk, not even his idol, Michael Jordan. 

Surprised, Sendoh looked away from the window and faced the boy. A smile slowly spread across his handsome face, "Thank you." 

Once again, Rukawa found it hard to breathe as he looked into those incredible depths of extraordinary eyes. They were hypnotic. His magnetic eyes, together with his pale translucent skin were compelling. His beauty was eerie, unearthly. It was mesmerizing yet at the same time, his beauty was scary….

Pain coursed through him as Sendoh found himself staring into those fox-like blue eyes. It was a perplexing feeling. It was painful to look into those eyes, to be reminded of his past but yet at the same time, he found comfort and peace in the very same pools of sapphire blue. Torn between the 2 extremes, Sendoh was at a loss.

Time seemed to stand still as the 2 boys remained locked in each other's gazes. 

 "Here are your food, please do enjoy." The magic was broken by the untimely arrival of the waitress with their ordered food…. The waitress who had earlier drooled over them blushed as she started out to place the respective orders in front of the 2 boys.

Too entranced, Sendoh was startled by her entrance and broke the gaze with a slight jerk of his head as he look in the direction of the waitress.

"Oh. Thank you." His voice softer and less sure than before. The staring incident earlier had drained him emotionally.

With his usual passive face, Rukawa picked up his fork and set out to finish his dinner in silence. He was never one to carry his feelings on his face, no matter how strong they were. For some reasons, he was grateful for the untimely arrival of the waitress. The emotion, the passion that raged through him when he looked into those cobalt blue eyes scared him. Never in his life did he experience such strong emotions…..

******************

Closing the door behind him, Sendoh stepped out into the cool night with Rukawa walking slightly ahead of him. The dinner earlier had passed mostly in silence with the occasional conversations on mundane topics. 

"You have to direct me. I am still pretty clueless about the street names here." Sendoh reminded the younger boy as he got into the driver's seat.

"Just turn left, drive straight and turn right to my house." The instructions were dished out in typical Rukawa-style.

"Oh. Ok. Just let me know when to turn." Sendoh said as he gently steered his car. He was slightly amused at the straightforward manner in which the boy seemed to always conduct his conversation in. It was always a yes, no or a direct answer, never once was there any unnecessary dialogue that normally occupies typical conversations.

It was a cool evening with the sky lighted by numerous stars. It was the type of evening that Rukawa loved. He was a night person. Unlike most people, it was during this time of the night that he usually felt more energetic, more alive. A slight breeze blew as the Porsche moved through the street, sweeping his silky black bangs away from his near-perfect face. Closing his eyes, Rukawa revered in the caress of the wind in his face. Feeling cold, he unconsciously dug his hands deeper into the pockets of his blazer as he pressed his arms closer to his taut body.

"Feeling cold? Do you want me to use the hood?" Sendoh offered without taking his eyes off the road, breaking the silence in the process. He had seen the subtle body movements from the corner of his eyes and had understood the meaning.

"No. We are reaching my house soon"

"Oh ok."

Silence ensued.

Drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, Sendoh tried to think of a simple conversational topic to ease the awkwardness. "So you live with your parents?"

"No. Most of the times they are in Tokyo." Another simple, fuss-free reply that do not allow for further exchange.

"Any other siblings liv…"

"Turn right!" Sendoh's question was cut halfway by Rukawa's sudden interruption.

"Huh?" 

"We just missed the turn to my house." Rukawa explained in his deep monotonous voice. Somehow in the exchange of words, he realized the usual turn to his house a tad too late.

"Oh… is there any U-turn here?" Sendoh turned his head slightly to look at the younger boy as he asked.

"No. This is a one-way street. We will have to drive all the way till we come to another right turn."

"Sorry, I should…"

"It's not your fault. I told you too late." 

Once again, silence ensued.

Driving along the street, Sendoh kept his attention on the road for any other right turn, he did not want to miss another turn. 

Finally, he spotted a turn 20 metres away. "Is that the one?"

Rukawa merely nodded.

Turning right into the street, Sendoh at once noticed something familiar. Neon lights littered both sides of the street. As he expected, a dark and simple club soon came into view. This was the club he saw Maki and Mitsui.

"Have you heard of this club, Eternal Euphoria?" Sendoh asked in a serious tone just as they drove past the club, flicking his head in the direction of the club. His face devoid of the usual smiles.

Surprised at the change in tone, Rukawa turned his head in the same direction indicated. He was greeted by a simple signboard that read 'Eternal Euphoria'.

"Yes. From the girls in the class." Usually, he wasn't the least bit interested whatever topics his classmates are discussing but the girls in his class had been raving on and on about this new club in town and the gorgeous patrons who frequent the place, that he couldn't help but catch a bit here and there. Besides, the unique and unusual name stuck in his mind. 

"Have you been there or anywhere near that place?"

"No. I detest places like these." A slight frown was forming on Rukawa's face.

"Good. Stay away from this place." Sendoh's mind immediately conjured up the image of Mitsui as he dished out the warning. A guy with such stunning good looks like Rukawa would no doubt attract a blood-lust Mitsui. Knowing Mitsui's disregard for protection of their identities, he just could not take the risk. The last thing he wanted was for history to repeat itself…..

"Why?" Given his usual self, Rukawa would never care to ask, for the chances of him visiting such places were as good as zero. He was never one who liked crowds. But somehow, he just had to know this particular time.

Too concerned for the safety of the boy beside him, Sendoh was taken by surprise at the unexpected question. His explanation came out at a slow pace as he tried to think of an appropriate answer, "Well… I have…. I have been there a couple of times and there are well…. there are always nasty brawls around the area, so its kinda unsafe."

A brief narrowing of his sapphire blue eyes was all Rukawa did as he absorbed the words before he turned his head to look out the window once again. He knew that was not the real reason but chose not to pursue. After all, there was no reason for him to…. 

"Third house at the left." Rukawa spoke up to indicate his residential area as Sendoh finally managed to turn into the correct lane.

Driving slowly along the exclusive row of posh private houses, Sendoh pulled up his wheels in front of the said house.

"Thank you." Rukawa mumbled in a low tone as he stepped out of the car.

"Welcome. I want to thank you too." Sendoh meant the game they played earlier. It had been a long time since he last enjoyed himself so much in a game.

Rukawa nodded. He knew what Sendoh was referring to. Giving Sendoh one last look, he turned and started to walk towards his gate.

Just as Sendoh was about to start his car, Rukawa suddenly paused in his steps. Turning around, the younger boy looked straight into the cobalt blue eyes as he murmured in a tone so soft it was hardly a whisper, "See you in class tomorrow." His eyes all the while, never once left the older boy's face.

It wasn't simply just a parting pharse…..

It was a simple statement but yet Sendoh had no idea how to reply. His mind went back to the past few hours he spent with the younger boy…..was this what he wanted? To accept the younger boy and permanently close the distance between them? To say yes would mean that he was ready to accept Rukawa, would mean that they were no longer strangers or even just acquaintances in class…. his mind was exploring the possibilities and implications from moving from a impersonal space to a more intimate space…..

"Yeah… see you in class tomorrow." Sendoh finally replied just as softly. His handsome face breaking into a gentle smile.

A tiny, rare smile crept into Rukawa's face as he took in the reply. And without another word, he turned around and walked towards his house.

*********************

TBC


	5. Chapter Five

**_Remember Me – Chapter Five _**

**Disclaimer:** The standard

**Genre:** Supernatural/Romance (Yaoi)

**Synopsis:** Coming back from the dead, he went back to his homeland intending to live a new life but was instead plunged back into those haunting memories when he met a certain pale, raven haired boy……

_//Italics// _– Personal Thoughts

_~Italics~_ - Waves of thoughts sent out

***********************

Walking down the busy corridor to his arithmetic class, attracting many stares along the way, Sendoh's heartbeat involuntarily began to pick up speed. It wasn't this bad yesterday. Somehow, yesterday amidst the chaos of the game and the dinner, he managed to distract himself away from the apprehension and uneasiness and kept his cool. Somehow, the presence of Rukawa seemed tolerable and less agonizing. But now was a different story….. to know that he had to face the raven-haired boy in advance was unnerving. He had no idea how to react…. should he remain cool or should he initiate an exchange?

Before Sendoh even had any time to decide, he was already right outside his class room. The chatters of his classmates droning on in his ears.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Sendoh then swung his Hugo Boss haversack firmly over his broad shoulders with one hand and strolled into the class. The picture a perfect, composed young man.

The moment he stepped into the class, giggles erupted from around the class. During his short tenure of one week, he had earned himself the title of one of the most gorgeous man in the entire school. The other being none other than Rukawa himself.

As usual, Sendoh flashed the giggling girls a smile as he walked over to his seat right at the back of the room. Lifting his eyes to the desk beside his own where a certain boy occupied, relief washed through him.

A black mess of silky threads was sprawled over the desk. Rukawa was asleep. 

Smiling slightly as he berated himself inwardly, Sendoh proceeded to take his seat. Rukawa always slept before the arithmetic sensei arrived. How could he forget? He shall worry about his problem later….

Just at this moment, the lady sensei brisk into the classroom. A couple of thick, hard-covered arithmetic books weighing down in her arms, making her looked smaller than she already was. Her grayish hair was piled high up on her head, exposing her wrinkled face. 

Sendoh liked her. Though she was incredibly stern, she also had this motherly side to her which made her rather endearing. With her sharp eyes glowering from beneath her gold-tinted spectacles, Sendoh reckoned that she was in a foul mood today. Well, judging from how the class had quietened down, it seemed that they noticed too.

As if on cue, Rukawa stirred from his sleep and lifted his head from the desk. Blinking his eyes several times, he then propped his head up with his left hand while his right rubbed those fox-like eyes. All these were done in a mechanical fashion.

The lady sensei frowned and gave the young man a disapproving look but said nothing. After all, at least he was awake.

Turning her attention back to the class, she wore a grim look and said, "Well, I have got a piece of news for you. And that is we will be having a quiz next week."

Groans erupted from around the class. Even Sendoh had to sigh. Sure, he was invincible, everlasting but heck! All these do not come in handy in arithmetic quizzes. What he needed was brains!

Tapping her feet impatiently as she crossed her arms. The lady sensei waited for the commotion to die down which was rather quick before she continued, "Only on the first 2 chapters and choose 2 out of 3 questions. Time limit is 40 minutes. Those who fail the quiz will be under my special care." Her eyes darted in Rukawa's direction as she dished out the warning. Rukawa was wide awake by now but remained expressionless.

"Today I will be going down the memory lane for those chapters and I expect full attention. No less!" Once again, her eyes darted in Rukawa's direction.

_//She is really in a bad mood today.//_

Following her glare, Sendoh turned slightly to steal a glance at the 'beleaguered' boy beside him.

With his head still propped up in his left hand, Rukawa too turned at the same time.

And their eyes met once again. Cobalt blue against sapphire blue.

And this time instead of turning away, Sendoh smiled.

*******************************

"Now, once you come to this stage, you can start applying the formula…"

Rukawa shook his head in an attempt to stay awake as the sensei droned on. Popping his sixth mint candy into his mouth, he wondered how long more he could keep his eyes open. He wished for the lesson to end but on the other hand, a certain someone was the reason he wanted the lesson to continue.

Smiling inwardly as he remembered how the spiky-haired boy had smiled at him earlier, Rukawa felt like Christmas had just came. But then Sendoh had quickly turned away before Rukawa could even react.

_//Well, at least he smiled…//_

With his head still propped up in his hand, he turned his head slightly to steal a look at the boy beside him.

Not expecting what he saw, Rukawa, in a rare occasion, raised his eyebrows in amusement.

The usually attentive boy was absent. Instead Sendoh was nodding off to lalaland in his seat.

Even with those cobalt blue eyes closed, Rukawa decided Sendoh still looked breathtakingly gorgeous. His extraordinary pale skin tone together with the perfect features never failed to stun him.

Taking a quick glance at the sensei who was still trying to explain the previous step, Rukawa decided it was not too late to wake the boy up. With a simple toss of his hand, Rukawa threw his pack of mint candies directly on Sendoh's open book. It landed with a soft 'thud'.

Sendoh's eyes flew open immediately. His face a look or pure predatory alertness. However, his face softened when he roamed his eyes briefly across the room. Straightening himself up, Sendoh then noticed the small rectangular box on his open book. Instinctively, he turned his gaze to his left to meet the expectant pair of fox-like eyes.

"To keep you awake." Rukawa's monotonous voice was devoid of any emotions.

"Huh..." Sendoh raised his eyebrows slightly as he wore a clueless look on his handsome face. "Sorry, but I don't really get you…"

Rukawa frowned. _//Is he for real?//_

Sticking out his tongue slightly, Rukawa pointed to the half-dissolved mint candy and said with a dead-pan expression, "The mint flavour helps keep me awake."

"Oh… I see." Sendoh broke into another one of his smiles as the realization dawned on him. Taking a mint candy from the box, Sendoh took a look at the round green candy before popping it into his mouth. He doesn't normally eat but he didn't want to appear weird.

The smile on Sendoh's face faltered as he sucked on the mint. Water began to gather at the brim of his eyes. The mint was so strong Sendoh felt like choking. Anxious to rid the burning sensation in his mouth, Sendoh swallowed the candy in one gulp.

Turning to face Rukawa, Sendoh remarked, "Wow, that's really something."

All awkwardness forgotten in that instant.

"It's a little stronger than wasabi." Rukawa replied as a small smile crept onto his face. He found Sendoh's reaction rather amusing.

"Wasabi?" Again, Sendoh wore a clueless look.

Amused at his ignorance, Rukawa tilted his head in a questioning manner. "You know those green stuff we dip our sushi into?"

Sendoh's thick brows furrowed together for a split second before he broke into a sheepish smile and shook his head. "Sorry, but I just got back from the States a few days ago, so not really sure about the local specialties…" His voice slowly reduced to nothingness.

Rukawa smacked his head inwardly. Of course! How could he forget?! Now he felt like a dock himself for treating the spiky-haired boy like a moron.                                                                             

But being Rukawa, he remained a passive expression as he continued, "How long have you been…" 

"My my my! Look who's talking?!" Rukawa's sentence was interrupted mid-way by a mocking tone.

"Mr Rukawa himself! For once, he's not sleeping but talking! Well, that's a first." The lady sensei had finally noticed the lack of attention from Rukawa, or rather from both Rukawa and Sendoh.

"Sendoh, you have been always very attentive in class. I am giving you the benefit of doubt that falling asleep and well, chatting with Rukawa is an one-off." The lady sensei frowned harder at the last bit of sentence, as if she couldn't believe that the latter was possible.

Gomenasai, Sensei." Sendoh apologized with one hand rubbing the nape of his hand in a child-like manner while Rukawa, as usual, just gave her another of his infamous glare.

The sensei's face softened a little at Sendoh's apology. "Be thankful that both of you are as tall as giants. If not for the fear of obstructing the view of your classmates, I'll have you both sit right under my nose."

As soon as she said the last word, the bell rang.

Walking to the desk to collect her belongings, the lady sensei then dismissed the class with a wave of her hand as she reminded, "Remember the quiz next week. Now you can go for your break."

Immediately, the class bustled with random activities. Several of the girls turned behind and giggled playfully at the two reprimanded boys.

Sendoh flashed them a sheepish smile while Rukawa ignored them completely.

A smile was still lingering on Sendoh's face as he packed his belongings into his brown leather haversack, ready to leave school for he had no other lessons that day. It had been a long time since he remembered being ticked off.

Picking up his own duffel bag which had been left untouched since the start of the lesson and the orange sphere beside it, Rukawa then walked towards the door, turning just as he reached it and leaned casually against the door frame.

"One on one today?" Rukawa's face was expressionless as he extended the invitation. His outlook one of indifference and coolness as he spun the leather ball on his index finger but deep down inside, it was another story.

"Huh?" Sendoh immediately looked up. He wasn't expecting this.

For the umpteen time that day, Rukawa tilted his head and repeated, "One on one basketball game. I want my revenge."

As Sendoh registered the words, conflicting emotions raged through him… fear, excitement, anticipation and a smile slowly broke on his face. Strangely enough today, he felt less fear and discomfort, in fact, he felt more relaxed and at ease with the raven-haired boy. The earlier incidents had helped in the process.

"Yeah… You go on ahead… I will catch up with you." Sendoh accepted the offer while his eyes fell in the arithmetic books still lying on the desk, waiting to be kept.

Rukawa again tilted his head.

"Well, I do pay attention in class most of the times, you know." Sendoh retorted in as an innocent manner as possible.

Rukawa raised his brows ever so slightly as he turned to go. His heart swelling at the attempted joke and the thought of the basketball session later on.

"Hey Rukawa! Here, catch!" Sendoh's deep voice rang from behind him.

Instinctively, Rukawa turned and in a reflex reaction, caught a small object that was thrown to him. Opening his palm, he realized that it was his own box of mint candies. Grasping the box tightly back into his hand, Rukawa looked straight into the cobalt blue eyes and said, "You can call me Kaede".

A grin slowly appeared on Sendoh's face. "You can call me Akira too".

************************

_//They are at it again. This is the second time this week… this is so unlike his character.//_

Having gotten what he wanted, the beefy young man then walked out the gym and made his way back to the club room, making sure he stayed unnoticed as he did so. His huge built the result of many years of intensive training from rugby. The grueling practices had managed to make his body bulge at the right places.

Cursing silently under his breath, he scowled as he kicked his leg into the air. Why did it always have to be him? Sharks, couldn't he have sent someone else to spy on Rukawa instead? Why did it always have to be him who delivered the bad news?

Turning into another corridor, the club room came into view. Breathing in, he then hurried his steps. He decided it was better to get it done and over with.

Pausing for a second as he stood outside the club room with one brawny hand on the door knob, he could hear the chunking sounds of the weights on the training machine. Knowing fully who was pumping himself, the young man took one last breath before he entered. "Captain…"

No response. The chunking sounds continued as the training kept in motion.

"He is playing basketball…" The young man continued when he saw no response.

Moments seemed to pass as the chunking sounds of the weights echoed in the club room before a deep smooth voice broke the uncomfortable silence. "With?"

The young man gulped as he answered the dreaded question. "With the new guy… again."

Suddenly, the club room went deadly silent. No more chunking sounds. The training has stopped.

Pulling himself up on the training bench, he grabbed his blue towel that was hanging at the sides and draped it over his broad muscular shoulders.

Standing up to his full height, he turned to face his junior who had remained standing at the door, his violet eyes flashing as commanded, "I want to know everything about this guy."

**********************

Hours turned into days and days soon turned into weeks. 

He had been in Kanagawa for only three weeks but yet it felt like an eternity.

Pulling his black wheels at the driveway outside the mansion. Sendoh leaned back against his leather seat and looked up into the sky, lifting his strong arms to the back of his head in the process.

Everything seemed like nothing more than a dream. It was like he was brought back to his distant past, a past he used to lead before he was transformed on that fateful day. During the spun of three weeks, he felt normal and alive, more alive than he had been in decades. He was doing the things everyone does, attending lessons, playing basketball, he was close to being normal. More importantly now, he was no longer alone…..

"Dreaming?" A deep, monotonous voice knocked Sendoh out of his reverie.

"No…. more like reminiscing." Sendoh smiled as his cobalt eyes shifted in Rukawa's direction, his hands still behind his head.

He looked on at the beautiful boy who was trying to make space in the small front seat for his extra huge duffel bag and his heart tightened slightly.

Rukawa bore a striking resemblance to his ex-lover but that was where the similarities ended. Their characters were as different as day and night. Ayumi was warm, soft, friendly and open like the morning sun while Rukawa was cold, strong, quiet and mysterious like the moon.

It was extremely hard for him in the beginning. Rukawa reminded him too much of Ayumi, too much of his past. Whenever he looked at those mesmerizing fox-like eyes, all his unwanted memories came flooding back, threatening to drown him in pain and sorrow. He held back many a times, even when he could sense Rukawa's attention on him, for he was afraid of his shady past catching up with him. But the difference in their characters slowly enabled him to look beyond that flawless face and bit by bit, he was able to dislodge his past from the younger boy. And with a close-to normal lifestyle now, he was able to push those memories further and further back into his mind, disengaging himself from them. 

He was slowly beginning to believe that he too, could be normal…..

"Hey"

"Huh" Sendoh blinked out of his thoughts at the interruption.

"Quit dreaming. We are going to be late." Rukawa said in his usual dead-pan expression.

"Oh… right. Got a little carried away." Sendoh apologized with a smile. "By the way, what's with the huge and heavier bag?" Sendoh's eyes flick in the direction of the said bag as he pull away from the driveway, onto the street.

"Hn…. How do you know it's heavier?"

"Well, it looks like it."

"Bought some extra stuff. Today's the tryouts for the basketball team." Rukawa explained.

"But what's it got to do with you? You are already in the team."

"But you are not." Rukawa immediately turned to face Sendoh as soon as he said that.

Sendoh took his eyes off the road to take a quick glance as the boy beside him before he resumed his driving.

"You said you will consider." Rukawa continued when no reply came from the spiky-haired boy.

Rukawa had asked the older boy to join the basketball team once a week ago. After their frequent one-on-ones, Rukawa found Sendoh as good as himself or maybe even better and his team sure could use another great player. Though he seemed to be nonchalant in extending the invitation, deep in his heart, he really hoped that Sendoh would agree.

"Well, I'm not sure…." Sendoh enjoyed playing basketball, in fact, he loved it. But he wasn't sure how he would cope with being in a team. Though he was at ease with Rukawa now, it would be too much to ask of him to mingle freely with people whom he had nothing to do with.

Rukawa frowned at Sendoh. Moments of silence passed before he dropped his stare and looked out the window. As much as he wanted the older boy to join, he did not want to force it down on him.

Sendoh could feel Rukawa's disappointment and it cut through him like a little knife. One thing he didn't understand was his feelings for the younger boy. When he first saw him, he felt differently because of his resemblance to Ayumi, but as time passed, those feelings remained. What were those feelings exactly…. He couldn't pin it down himself. Right now, all he knew was that he couldn't bear the younger boy to be unhappy.

"Well, let me think about it. I'll try my best ya?" Sendoh relented, his cobalt eyes shifting in Rukawa's direction as he said so, his hands still on the steering wheel.

Shining fox-like eyes met those cobalt ones…. and a tiny smile tugged at the corner of Rukawa's lips.

************************

Stepping out of the black Porsche and into the sea of admiring stares and adoring looks, Rukawa ignored the love-struck girls and stood at the side, waiting for Sendoh to join him. They were having arithmetic lessons together.

The familiar beeping of remote control sounded. Slipping his remote control into the pocket of his black suede jacket where his hand casually remained, Sendoh strolled towards Rukawa and together, they made their way through the morning crowd towards their classroom.

Heads turned as they passed. Some called out a greeting, in which Sendoh would return with a smile, some whispered among themselves, while others just looked on in silence.

All in all, they were the centre of attention. The top hunks in the school. One was a cool, aloof basketball ace whose ice-cold attitude transformed into fiery-red determination once on court. The other was a new kid on the block who, on the surface, led a glamorous lifestyle, complete with luxurious car and designer outfits.

They were different and similar at the same time. On the surface, Sendoh was a smiling persona while Rukawa, an ice-cold prince, one who never smiles. But at the same time, both were the epitome of beauty and mystery. None knew the real them….. they had no friends…..

And the bringing together of these two intriguing personalities further deepened the mystery surrounding them, capturing the interest of the school population. No one foresaw their friendship. No one thought that the friendship between the two solitary figures was possible and it was because of this, that more attention was heaped upon them.

Leaving the crowd behind them, the two boys turned into a much more deserted corridor and walked the remaining short distance to their classroom.

The moment they stepped into the classroom, Sendoh could sense something different. The usual perky mood was absent, instead most of his classmates were huddled at the back of the room, talking among themselves. The girls sounded worried, disturbed while the guys seemed excited.

Ignoring his classmates as usual, Rukawa proceeded towards his seat and Sendoh followed suit. But even then, the girls who were usually so enthusiastic when it came to them, barely spared them a glance before they resumed their conversation.

"Must be some new rumours." Rukawa said with a tinge of disdain as he sat himself down. He had been the target several times.

Sendoh raised his eyebrows and shaped his lips into an 'O' shape. Taking his books out, Sendoh got himself ready for the lesson. While waiting for the sensei to arrive, he couldn't help but catch a bit of the ongoing conversation….

"I was there just the night before…" Itsuki said with fear etched in her voice. She was a rather pretty girl with large doe eyes and petite nose.

"You are lucky. It might have been you." A male voice interrupted as the owner threw a roll of newspapers onto the desk.

At the mention of this, several gasps erupted from within the group before the group fell into silence.

"Oh come on, rob and kill aren't exactly rare these days. There's no need to freak out just because it happened near Eternal." Another voice joined in.

Picking up the roll of papers and flipping through the pages, Itsuki pointed into an article and said, "But look at this…. The article says there appear not to be a single drop of blood in their bodies! It's like they were drained like a dead chicken. The murderer must…"

"Can I have a look at it?" A deep, cool voice cut her off before she could finish her sentence.

Appearing suddenly, Sendoh stood beside the girl, towering over her.

Startled and feeling suddenly nervous and embarrassed, Itsuki blushed as her earlier fears evapourated. "Oh sure, here it is…"

She blushed even harder when Sendoh smiled weakly as he reached out for the papers.

The group fell into silence. No one seemed to know what to react to the current situation. They definitely weren't used to or even expect one of the hottest hunks in school to mingle among them.

Before the group even had time to recover from their slight shock, they were dealt with a bigger one. Rukawa had walked right up to them and stood beside Sendoh, oblivious to the gaping looks around him. 

Rukawa was surprised when Sendoh made a beeline for the papers. Beneath that deep, cool voice, Rukawa could sense a certain urgency, or even anxiety.

"What is it?" Rukawa asked as he peered into the article Sendoh was holding, his voice devoid of any emotions.

**Bloodless Murders**

**_Two teenage girls, aged 18 and 19 were found dead along the back alleys of the popular entertainment district, _****_Paradise Street_****_. They were stumbled along by the remnants of clubbers in the early morning hours and were believed to have been dead since Saturday night. No signs of struggle were discovered nor found at the scene of the crime. The two victims were found without a drop of blood in their body. The clean state of the alleged crime scene has led the police to believe otherwise and that the killings could have been carried out elsewhere. Police have classified the deaths as unnatural deaths and investigations are underway. The victims were last seen in the recently opened popular clubbing joint, Eternal Euphoria. The abnormal nature of the deaths was similar to the recent unsolved death cases that occurred in _****_Europe_****_ last month._**

****

"Mitsui" Sendoh hissed from clenched teeth.

With a slam of his hands, Sendoh slapped the papers shut and handed it back to Itsuki who was looking rather startled without another word, his hands trembling slightly as he did so.

Rukawa looked at Sendoh and alarm rang through him. Sendoh looked even whiter than usual, something which Rukawa never thought was possible. A certain air emanated from him and he looked…. dangerous.

"What is it, Akira? You know the girls?"

_//I know the killer!//_

"No" Before Rukawa could ask further, Sendoh stopped him by adding, "I won't be going for the tryouts today. Sorry." With that, he walked straight back to his seat.

Rukawa opened his mouth slightly as if to say something but clamped it shut when the sensei chose this moment to brisk into the class, sending the students back to their seats.

*************************

As the black Porsche came to a halt, heads turned. 

Climbing out of his car, Sendoh ignored the attention and made his way to the front entrance, passing along the long queue which was steadily growing longer as he did so. Clubbers were starting to stream in. The killings didn't seem to have an effect.

Sendoh did not intend to join the queue and as he approached the entrance, he did not bother to acknowledge the presence of bouncer and walked right past the beefy man. And as expected… "Hey, sir! Do you have a VIP membership? If not, you have to join…"

Sendoh turned his head and looked straight into the man's eyes, sending out a wave of Power as he did so. _~You did not see me~_

He was in no mood to be nice.

The bouncer froze for a second after which he went back to ushering the customers, one by one, to the cashier, leaving his previous sentence unfinished in mid-air.

Unveiling the black velvet curtains aside, Sendoh then made his way down the spiral staircase, the music getting louder and clearer as he descended.

As he took his last few steps down the stairs, the familiar décor came into view. Making his way through the crowd, he allowed his blue eyes to scan the room, impatient to find his old _pals. _

It wasn't easy, even for him who had a sharper sense of sight for it was really crowded. He saw several of his kind but not the ones he was here for.

Then he saw them. Two figures lazing in one of those lavish booths in the VIP section, enjoying the taste of the wine that was on their table, or least one seemed to be. The other just sat on the couch, arms crossed with one hand gingerly touching the side of his forehead, wearing a slight frown.

Immediately, Sendoh made his way across the crowded room towards the VIP section, his temper that was in check previously rising at the sight of a relaxed and unperturbed Mitsui. 

Walking right past the bouncer at the entrance of the VIP section, Sendoh did not even give the bouncer the chance to stop him and his hands had already found their way to the front of Mitsui's leather jacket, yanking the young man out of his seat and against the wall. The glass of red wine in Mitsui's hand spilling as he did so.

Maki stood up at once and signaled to the oncoming bouncer to leave them alone.

"Why did you do it?" Sendoh hissed through clenched teeth.

Mitsui's eyes narrowed for a brief second before he replied nonchalantly, "Do what?"

"Don't play games, Mitsui. The two girls." Sendoh's hold on Mitsui's jacket tightening. His fury threatening to spill over any minute.

"Sendoh, people are watching." Maki's voice rang from behind, tinged faintly with worry.

"Let them watch! Our covers will be blown sooner or later. You never cared about hiding our identities, do you?!"

"I didn't do it." Mitsui said, this time from between clenched teeth. He definitely wasn't used to being treated this way.

Sendoh frowned for a second before he mocked, "I never knew you were a liar. Since when have you become afraid to own up for what you did? Why? Or did the happenings in Italy scare you?!"

"Don't push it, Sendoh." Mitsui snarled.

"So what if I do?" Sendoh hissed back.

"You'll never win me now, Sendoh… and you know it." 

With a snarl, Sendoh flung Mitsui across the booth and sent him slamming into the cushioned walls of the booth, the glass of wine breaking on the granite floor in the process as Mitsui lost his grip on the glass. His lips drawn back from his teeth in fury, exposing his fangs and his pupils constricting to show a brilliant cobalt blue in the dark.

The same happened to Mitsui. His fangs were showing as his face contorted with rage but before things could turn worse, Maki had his hand on Mitsui's shoulders, his touch beseeching Mitsui to hold back his own temper as he said firmly, "Don't, Mitsui"

Mitsui looked up at Maki and with a snarl, he knocked that hand away and made his way to the couch, away from Sendoh.

Relief washed through Maki as he turned to face Sendoh who still had his fangs showing and said, "He didn't do it, Sendoh."

Sendoh narrowed his cobalt eyes as his fangs slowly retracted. "Then who? Who did it?"

Sendoh was not prepared for the answer that came out of Maki's mouth.

"It's Minami."

**************************

TBC


End file.
